Common Sense Media Review
By Michael Berry
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Train captain pursues giant moles in clever pirate parody.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
In RAILSEA, Sham Yes ap Soorap is a young medic's assistant aboard the moletrain Medes, whose captain quests for the legendary Mocker-Jack across a wasteland of dirt. When Sham discovers a strange secret aboard a wrecked train, he's thrust into an adventure that will take him to the very end of the line, where he'll discover what lies beyond the rails. He'll be captured by pirates, chased by terrible burrowing creatures, and forced into confrontations with angels.
Is It Any Good?
Railsea is no run-of-the-mill adventure at sea; it's full of strange creatures, odd quests, treacherous pirates, and weird settings. Author China Mieville's world-building is both surreal and oddly plausible, and his prose is charmingly off-kilter. The novel won't be for every taste, but readers who can catch the humor in the narrative will be rewarded with a one-of-a-kind literary adventure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Railsea's method of upending literary conventions from books like Moby-Dick and Treasure Island. Why do readers enjoy tales of nautical (or locomotive) adventure?
Much is made in Railsea of the Captain's "philosophy." How do people develop a philosophy that guides their behavior in strange circumstances?
Why do you think the author directly comments on how stories are told? What you do think those seeming asides add to the novel's narrative?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Fantasy
- Topics : Fantasy ( Magic ) , Adventures , Pirates , Transportation ( Trains )
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Del Rey
- Publication date : June 15, 2012
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 12 - 17
- Number of pages : 448
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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